Oxygène
Jean-Michel Jarre
1976
Album Summary
Oxygène (French pronunciation: [ɔksiˈʒɛn], English: Oxygen) is the third studio album by French electronic musician and composer Jean-Michel Jarre and his first album not intended for use as a soundtrack. Oxygène consists of six tracks, numbered simply "Oxygène (Part I)" to "(Part VI)". It was first released in France in December 1976, on the Disques Dreyfus record label licensed to Polydor, with an international release following in the middle of 1977. The album reached number one on the French charts, number two on the UK charts and number 78 in the US charts. Jarre recorded the album in a makeshift home recording studio using a variety of analogue synthesizers and one digital synthesizer, as well as other electronic instruments and effects. It became a bestseller and was Jarre's first album to achieve mainstream success. It was highly influential in the development of electronic music from that point onward and has been described as the album that "led the synthesizer revolution of the Seventies" and "an infectious combination of bouncy, bubbling analog sequences and memorable hook lines".
WikipediaCan go toe to toe with anything Ambient that Brian Eno ever did. incredibly powerful mood.
Let's all put on clothing made of foil and zoom around on our hoverboards
When I saw that all songs were called Oxygène, I knew it would be shit...
One of the OGs of the style. Still incredible even all these years later.
Jarre is one of the godfathers of electronic music, and this early album is one of his best. Its best known part is certainly Oxygène 4, but one really should listen to this album as a whole, not for individual tracks. Jarre is weaving a tapestry of ever-repeating patterns and introduces gradual over time, so it never gets boring. A classic masterpiece of electronic music. 5/5
Yet another seminal electronic album, this time from the 70s. Six parts, all sublime. Utterly good stuff. Favorite is Oxygene, Pt. 5.
Absolutely wonderful, a rich futuristic cityscape of an album. Definitely going to revisit.
In The Meaning of Liff, a book by Douglas Adams and John Lloyd, the authors take placenames from around the world and redefine them as words for things and events that don't have a word, but should. For instance, Shoeburyness, formerly an English village, gained the meaning "the vague uncomfortable feeling you get when sitting on a seat that is still warm from somebody else's bottom." Chicago now also refers to "the foul-smelling wind which precedes an underground railway train." The relevant one for today is Zeerust, a South African town and "the particular kind of datedness which afflicts things that were originally designed to look futuristic." Take the original Star Trek, where communicators only performed one task (unlike your phone), and a female uniform ended an inch below the knicker. Jean -Michel Jarre's Oxygène embodies the zeerust of 70s synth pioneer records, but this is not to its detriment. The public perception of Jean-Michel Jarre has always struck me as dissonant, but that could be the Anglo-American perception. Everyone aged 35 or over knows exactly who he is, but they would only be able to name one song (Oxygène Part 4, obviously). Owning this album would make you seem buffy, and any other album smacks of obsession. Yet he holds the world record for the most attended concert, a 1997 Moscow concert celebrating the 350th anniversary of the city, where over 3,500,000 attended: that's more than the populations of Estonia and Latvia combined. Three other concerts of his have previously held that record. So does Europe adore Jean-Michel Jarre? Dunno: I asked a Francophone friend, and he told me that whilst he has some kudos in France as a trailblazer, nobody would be able to tell you a track of his from the 80s or 90s. Anyway, back to the zeerust of Oxygène. The European synth pioneers who have attracted by far the most acclaim are the Germans: Kraftwerk, Neu!, Tangerine Dream, those chaps. The French, whilst not seen as inadequate in the field, have never attained anything like the veneration their synthy krautrock rivals command. But these synth pioneers, regardless of origin, all now sound affectionately quaint. By pursuing the future in their present, they would become anchored to their present, our past. Partly this is just the gamble you take on when you prognosticate so; much of New Romanticism's futurism hasn't bourne out in its favour. Partly this is a side-effect of influence: when others build on your innovations, they will inevitably progress beyond you. But whereas one might presume Oxygène has dated, I don't find that the case. Yes, it's evocative of a specific 70s era I never experienced, but that just adds to the charm. A 6-track, wholly electronic instrumental album by a French avant-garde composer becoming a worldwide smash? That sadly just doesn't happen anymore. Thanks, Adele! But is Oxygène actually good stripped of context? It wholly depends on how beautiful you find it. Eventually, I found it very beautiful indeed. Yes, it may take some time to appreciate this album fully, but by my third listen it had become a treat. I'm happy giving it 5 stars, but that just reflects my impression. If you consider it a bore and a chore, I won't argue to the contrary. See, we can all just get along!
This was a real gem, never heard of this cat before and had no idea how big he was. Some really interesting beats and sounds.
Really liked this surprisingly. I'm guessing pretty revolutionary for its' time? Listened with headphones so that made it a beautiful sci-fi soundscape journey.
The inspiration for countless infomercial and documentary soundtracks. Despite a bit too much theremin vibrato and vaguely muddy mixing, this album is simultaneously the sound of the past and the sound of the future.
Ayo this is pretty fucking neat. Early electronic that feels like floating through space? yes please, it's solid as fuck.
I can respect the inspiration this album had and how groundbreaking this album may have been for its time, but definitely not for me. Sounds like a killer video game soundtrack maybe? I LOVE the album art though, would make a cool tattoo.
Großartig! Atmosphärisch! Spacig! Spannend! Wem ist die Stelle mit dem Mass Effect Vibe aufgefallen? Gleich nochmal hören! Bzw. weiterhören mit Oxygène 2 & 3. Vor seinem Sylvesterkonzert hab ich lang nichts mehr von ihm gehört, aber ich war erfreut, dass er noch aktiv ist. Als Mitbegründer von Electronic mischt er sich heutzutage nahtlos zwischen seine Kollegen.
pioneer of electronic music, really good listen while working. I knew of him but I'll definitely listen to more
Really loved this electronic album. Great vibe and great for a background while doing almost anything. A genre defining and birthing album.
I'm not sure how I have never heard this album. I also can't believe it is over 50 years old! This is an amazing electronic album that takes the listener on a journey.
awesome album, beginning to end 10/10 based af honestly can’t decide what my favorite song is
I liked this album. Listened to some of his work for the rest of the day, and this was probably the best.
Incredibly cool, it felt like I was on a musical journey. Particularly loved parts 2, 3 and 4. The section of 5 where you could hear the music going back and forth from ear to ear was rather fun as well
I think this album might be directly responsible for the entire sound of 80s sci-fi and some mainstream sound that's seen even today. For 1976, this shit feels way ahead of its time and it's also super enjoyable to listen to. Parts 3 and 6 are the best ones
Dramatic, cinematic.I remember watching his outdoor light spectacles on TV as a kid - Oxygene Part 4 brings back those memories. Rich textures, Spacemen 3 learnt from this. It’s very different to Kraftwerk, this is more like waves, more atmospheric. No words, this is music to make you wonder. Dreamy. I love it. Nice to hear an album without lyrics that still very much holds the attention.
Superb. The most beatiful electronica soundscapes put together as a classic symphony, with its different themes being repeated in variations and mixed up maintaing an exciting atmosphere throughout the whole album
I got Gary Numan through this project recently, and was bemoaning the lack of Vangelis on the list, so awarded him the title of "main source of synthesizer soundtracks of the future, from the past". That was shameful Jean-Michel Jarre erasure, and for that, I apologize. Oxygene is great! Exactly my jam. On the one hand, it's the scifi soundtrack to the future TV and movies have been promising me my whole life. On the other hand, it's a nostalgia machine that whisks me back to my childhood. Fave track - well, "Part IV" is the famous, nay, iconic section, but I really enjoyed the frenetic mania of "Part II" this time around. The second half of "Part V" is pretty badass, too....
Sounds of the future in an entirely accessible format. Also worth checking out Oxygene 2 and 3 albums as well!
Really liked this, and was not familiar at all. I didn't know this level of complexity existed in electronic music in 1976. Very very cool. 5/5
I feel like I'm playing Stellaris, and I mean that in the best way possible. This kind of music keeps my brain active but I also feel very at peace.
It’s been 30 years since I last listened to this and it still blows me away, what an album. It was years ahead of its time when released and no one really caught up until the late 80’s by which time Jarre had moved on to other things. 5/5
jarre.. yksi projektin kohokohdista TÄSSÄ.....miksi vitussa on 3.08 mutta abbey road 4+.... part 1 ei sano paljoa...eikä tarvi...luo tunnelmaaa.. part 2 säväyttää.. ala arvioitu...melodinen miraakkeli... part 3, mitäänsanomaton..valmistaututtaa seuraavaan... part 4.... noh... mitäs siitä sanoisi... yksi parhaista biisinnypäköistä mitä on luotu..... part 5,porno. pornoa vaan... hävetti julkisella paikalla kävellä kun sellaista helisi korvissa... part 6 mid. part 4 tosiaan miellyttävin heh
Though Tangerine Dream may have preceded this, and even pioneered instrumental electronic music as a viable commercial genre, their sound tends to wander more - perhaps because they are a band rather than a single person. "Oxygene" is largely a soundscape, but it is more focused, more carefully constructed, and more rhythmic. You as a listener might get lost in it, but you are being guided through a smoothly crafted sonic journey. Exquisite nighttime headphone music.
Holy fuck, I was legit blown away by this album. Just a supremely strong atmosphere, and I felt like it was a perfect soundtrack type of record.
Listening to this on my way to work, I was taken out of my car and shoved into a spaceship gone rogue, traveling distant planets and alien landscapes. Another common French electronic music W (perhaps the first, certainly one of the biggest).
Electronic synth oddyssey, it’s very atmospheric (makes sense given the name!) and otherworldly. There’s a panning wind-sound on a few tracks, and theramin on part 3.. Apparently he did a ton of soundtrack work which makes a ton of sense. Part 1 is a little slow, it’s an alright intro, but it’s not really until part 2 that things pick up. Not sure how listening to tracks individually would be but I really enjoyed this as a 40 minute experience. Part 2 is a bop, 3 is fun, 4 I’m on the fence with, 5 I loved the 2nd half but thought the first half was just ok, and part 6 had a fun neo-noir video game vibe.
Such a cool album! Didn't know this kind of music was around in the 70s. Clearly a hugely influential artist!
Wonderful instrumental music. Synth-heavy with a retro-futuristic vibe
1976, instrumental, Electronica, New Age, Ambient, Pop, oxygène pt. 1-6, Übergänge 10/10, 5 ist trippy, nice, ganzes Album trippy, könnte Soundtrack für einen ruhigen science-fiction Film sein (2001-mäßig), seichte 4
Great sound, impossible not to get sucked in. It's funny listening to the laser and bomb-drop whistle sound effects now but I think they date it without making it too cheesy. Definitely makes me wanna dust off the old Casio. Made great use of stereo sound too, if a little overplayed. You can hear where so many artists like daft punk, Robert Miles and Ross Gellar got their inspiration.
Can absolutely see how this paved the way for a lot modern day electronics. Despite and impending sense of dread, this album is quite impressed. Ambient, atmospheric and exceptionally modern for its age.
great atmosphere, progressive futuristic spacey mood with seamless transitions between songs to make one cohesive experience. Didn't completely blow me away (most likely because i've already listened to so much modern electronic music) but it's easy to get sucked into the world of this album and it's creation is truly impressive. 3.5-4/5
Unieke sound die veel moderne muziek heeft beïnvloed. Met wat inlevingsvermogen kun je je in een andere wereld wanen. Leuk album, maar net niet het maximum van de score
Another one I know is classic, but have never knowingly listened to. I think there is one track I know, but I'll have to wait and see. A minute in, and this could go Kraftwerk, or could be terrible. Love me some fake singing saw though! At 4:30 on part one it feels a lot like Wendy Carlos' sublime music from A Clockwork Orange. Oxygene 2 has a little more life to it, though it carried on so much I did stop listening in parts - probably more my barbaric ears than a failure of composition. Oxygene 3 opens quite dramatically. But doesn't go anywhere especially, though it is only short. Oxygene 4 is the one I know! When I was growing up in the 80s I think it was the standard piece of music you'd use to immediately signify THE FUTURE. I still like it! Oxygene 5 appears to be like an overture, revisiting the record so far, which was... Okay I suppose? And 6 was pretty dull. All in all, a pleasant surprise. Lots to like here, and an impressive achievement in 1976. Will I revisit it as much as I do Kraftwerk? No, but it was pretty good nonetheless.
In its time this would have been ground-breaking and a clear 5 for being utterly new and different. Out of context in the modern day when a child with a bit of software could do this, it's slightly less impressive and I find myself rating it purely on composition and production. Still a great listen from time to time when you need ambient electronic tunes without lyrics whilst working. Pt4 is my favourite, though that might be a British thing having grown up hearing it in every seaside arcade for my entire life. I'll definitely continue to listen to this in future.
My favorite purely electronic album has a beautiful sense of melody that modern bands like Aphex Twin lack as do contemporaries like Tangerine Dream. Smoke a joint, turn the lights low and be transported to wherever you let the music take you. 4.5 🌟
For what it is, this is really good. Better than Kraftwerk. Reminded me of Plantasia. The first song was a bit slow, but after that it never relented. Great album.
Perhaps a bit dated compared to today's standards, but it's certainly ahead of it's time. I would have never guessed this album was 45+ years old. This is essentially just one long song (or two, really) separated into 6 tracks. It feels very much like a sci-fi movie soundtrack, which I like. An undoubtedly influential piece of music. I'll be revisiting this one!
I didn't really need to listen to this seminal electronic album from the 70s because I think I've already listened to it a thousand times over the past 45 years. But it never gets old for me so it was a nice refresher over breakfast. Some of the early moog effects such as the laser beam pew pew and ocean sounds are cringe-worthy today, but back in the day this was a really groundbreaking futuristic sound. Along with his peers such as Mike Oldfield and Tangerine Dream, Jarre was on the forefront of electronic music and would go on to influence numerous other electronic bands and what you kids know as EDM. Jarre's sound evolved over the next few albums and his best work was yet to come with Equinoxe, Zoolook and the Concert in China but the ground-breaking influence of this album cannot be denied.
It’s hard for me to evaluate this without thinking about what I was listening to in 1976: Genesis? Steeley Dan? Punk hadn’t hit Sudbury yet. The more beat oriented tracks on this LP wouldn’t have sounded out of place in the 90s. As they say, it was an influential release. I’ll add a point for that reason, but I like it because songs/hooks are catchy.
Gets my vote for "pretty cool". A smidge dated in spots, but it made my night flight to Nashville a bit more entertaining and, in spots, spooky. Held my attention while not being the center. Really enjoyed this one. Favorite tracks: "Pt. 1", "Pt. 2"
Vraiment un nice album. En lisant sur l'artiste j'ai appris qu'il est un pionier de l'electro et on voit clairement pourquoi. Définitivement à revisiter.
This has way more similarity to both Jeff Wayne's War of The Worlds and Wendy Carlos' Clockwork Orange soundtrack than I remembered. The influences of both are clear, and while there is vast amounts of this album that is theramin and plinky-plonk heavy, it is clear that there's a lot of visionary stuff in it. I'd be genuinely interested in finding out if Jarre had any contact with the BBC radiophonic workshop or Carlos, as it really sounds like there's been a lot of cross-pollination.
This album, for not being made for a soundtrack, was incredibly soundtrack-like for the first few songs. I enjoyed the 5th track the most as it reminded me of a lot of songs that have come out in the past decade
The future is here! Definitely flew its own lane, and stuck to it. Track 4 I had surprisingly heard before, and therefore, the human mind being what it is, was my favourite. 4* as I will listen again when doing stuff that I want to feel futuristic whilst doing.